Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (35 page)

5.
Spoon lumps of the butter into a large mason jar. Your butter will keep better in an oxygen-free environment, so squeeze each lump of butter firmly down into the jar. Fill the gap at the top of the jar with cold water and close. During the cooler months, you should be able to keep your butter this way out of the fridge. When it gets warmer, especially here in Southern California, I put the jar in the fridge.

Easy and Healthy Breakfasts

Nutty Granola

This is a family favorite. When we’re out of it, there’s an outcry for the canisters to be refilled. It’s sweet, crunchy, and nutty, but unlike the store-bought versions, it is not filled with sugar. It also works as a great little afternoon treat.

Yields:
approximately 8–9 cups

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Place honey and coconut oil in a small saucepan over a low heat and warm until liquefied.

3.
Put oats, nuts, seeds, and coconut in a bowl and mix in the honey mixture and the vanilla. Mix well and spread over a baking sheet.

4.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until crispy and lightly browned. Add the dried fruit.

5.
Let it cool and then store your granola in a large glass or stainless steel container.

Homemade Almond Milk

When you try the homemade version, you’ll never want to buy it from a store again. It pairs beautifully with the Nutty Granola.

Yields:
about 4 cups

1.
Put the almonds in a glass bowl or pitcher with 4 cups of water and place in the fridge overnight.

2.
Rinse with water, then put in the blender with filtered water.

3.
Strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a pitcher.

4.
If you want to make it sweeter, you can put it back in the blender and add 3 or 4 dates (they must be soaked in water for a couple of hours), or make a delicious, gorgeously green shake by adding half a banana, 1 tsp. of any leafy greens, and 1 tsp. of agave syrup.

Coconut Banana Protein Pancakes

Everyone is crazy about my coconut pancakes. They are not only scrumptious, but they’ll keep you going until lunch because of the coconut oil and protein.

Yields:
2 to 3 servings

1.
In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

2.
In a small bowl, whisk up the eggs and mix in the cottage cheese, honey or agave, and banana.

3.
Pour the egg mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and blend well.

4.
Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet and drop in a tablespoon of batter for each pancake. When the tops of the pancakes start to bubble, flip them over and continue to fry until both sides are gently browned.

5.
Serve with a little maple syrup or Brown Rice Syrup (see resources, Resource Guide), and sliced bananas and/or organic berries.

Easy Flaxseed Loaf

You can bake a loaf of bread in 10 easy steps. Alternatively, you can sling all the ingredients in a bread maker and go watch television or meditate. The process of hand making the bread is very therapeutic for me, so on a bad day I whip out my loaf pan and indulge in this soothing activity.

Yields:
1 loaf

1.
Put the warm water in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the dry yeast until it’s dissolved.

2.
Add the salt, sugar, butter, and milk and stir.

3.
Mix in 2 cups of the flour.

4.
As you stir, add a little more flour and the flax meal (1 tbsp. at a time), until the dough forms a ball.

5.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead for 3 to 5 minutes (dig your fists in to flatten the dough, fold it over, turn, and repeat). Add more flour as needed to prevent the dough from becoming sticky.

6.
Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm spot for 45 minutes.

7.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

8.
Form the dough into a loaf shape and place it into a greased loaf pan.

9.
Let it sit for 30 minutes.

10.
Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes.

Homemade Almond Butter

Almond butter is the most nutritious of all nut butters, and it’s ridiculously easy to make. You don’t have to add any sugar or preservatives. And given the fact that it’s very expensive to buy, this one is a real winner.

Yields:
approximately 2 cups

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Spread the almonds on a large baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

3.
When they have cooled down, put them into your food processor and begin to blend. You need to process them until they reach the requisite creamy butter texture. Every 30 seconds, stop your processor so that you can scrape the sides down with a spatula.

4.
Store in a glass container with a lid. It’ll keep for up to 3 months in your fridge.

Low-Sugar Strawberry Jelly

In the summer months, take advantage of the abundance of berries and make up a few jars of jelly to remind you of summer when it’s freezing outside. It’s easier to make than you think. Since jelly typically uses a great deal of sugar, I
love to make this version for a guilt-free indulgence. To make low-sugar jelly, you will need to use Pomona’s Universal Pectin (www.pomonapectin.com), which is available at many large grocery and health food stores.

Yields:
about 6 cups (4 to 5 half-pint jelly jars)

1.
Place the crushed strawberries in a large stainless steel saucepan and add the calcium water.

2.
Place the sugar in a small bowl and add the pectin.

3.
Bring the fruit to a boil and add the sugar mixture.

4.
Stir vigorously for 1 or 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin.

5.
Bring back to a boil and then remove from the heat.

6.
Fill your sterilized and warm jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Screw on the lids.

7.
Place your jars in your canner or a large pot of boiling water. Have a teakettle of boiling water on hand.

8.
Making sure the jars are fully submerged (the water level needs to be 2 inches above the jars), bring the water back to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.

9.
Carefully remove the jars from the water with canning tongs and place on a dish towel. Test the seals.

10.
When cool, label and store the jars. The jelly will last for 3 weeks after opening. Store in a cool dark spot for up to 1 year.

Foodie Gifts

Here are a few wonderful homemade recipes that your foodie friends will love to receive as gifts.

Herb-Infused Oils

Herb-infused oils can be used for dressings, marinades, or just drizzled over grilled veggies. They’re also wonderfully decorative on a kitchen counter. Your first job is to find a good bottle. You may have some luck finding what you need in your local discount store. Keep an eye out for pretty-shaped bottles with corks or well-sealing lids. If you have trouble finding what you need, check out the great glass bottle selection at Specialty Bottle (www.specialtybottle.com). You can make infused oils with dried herbs. However, I think fresh herbs deliver a much deeper flavor.

Yields:
12- to 17-ounce bottle of oil

1.
Wash the rosemary, thyme, and lemon slices in cold water and place them in a glass measuring cup overnight, steeping in the vinegar and water.

2.
Rinse off your herbs and lemon and leave them to air dry for at least 8 hours on a paper towel.

3.
Insert the herbs, bay leaves, peppercorns, and lemon into the bottle
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and pour in the olive oil, leaving a 1-inch space (or more if the bottle has a cork) at the top of the bottle.

4.
Make a pretty label that you can tie with raffia or string around the neck of the bottle. Be sure to put the “best used before” date on the back of the label. The oil should be good for up to 6 months when stored in a cool, dark spot.

Gourmet Herb Salt

This makes a perfect holiday/hostess gift. Use mason jars and spend some time creating pretty labels. You can use a mixture of any herbs you have on hand. Some of my favorites are basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and parsley.

Yields:
16 ounces

1.
Place the herbs in your blender or food processor and pulse for only a few seconds. You just want to break the herbs into little pieces, so be careful you don’t overprocess them into a mush.

2.
Place the salt in a large bowl and mix in the herbs with your hands.

3.
Leave the bowl uncovered in a warm spot overnight.

4.
Fill your mason jar with your herb salt.

Creamy Walnut Fudge

This fudge is heavenly. A generous bag could patch up even the sourest of friendships!

Yields:
about 3 cups of fudge squares

1.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching. It’s very important to stir this mixture constantly. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter.

2.
Place the chocolate chips and nuts in a large bowl. Pour the sugar mixture over the chocolate chips and nuts. Stir until well blended, then stir in vanilla.

3.
Pour into a well-greased 9x9-inch baking pan.

4.
When the fudge has set, cut it into little squares.

5.
Pack your fudge into cellophane bags and decorate with pretty labels and ribbons. It will keep for up to 1 month; no need to refrigerate.

Kitchen and Beyond

Sassy Little Apron

A cute and sexy little apron is a must for the gorgeously green girl. An apron is just about the easiest thing you can ever hope to sew, so don’t even think about buying one. This apron is eco-friendly because you are making it out of an old men’s shirt. You could also use a child’s shirt for a little girl’s apron.